Author: Bashir Hangi

The Acting Executive Director of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Mr. Chemonges Sabilla, has officially opened a three-day preparatory meeting for the Rhino Translocation Team at K Hotels in Entebbe, with a call to focus on practical delivery and avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.

The meeting has drawn together a cross-section of technical experts, including veterinarians, rangers, logistics and transport specialists, and security personnel who will be directly responsible for the safe and successful translocation of rhinos from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to Ajai Wildlife Reserve. Notably, the team includes seven UWA staff who recently returned from Kenya after participating in a benchmarking exercise on rhino translocation. While in Kenya, they actively took part in the capture and translocation of rhinos from Lake Nakuru National Park and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to Segera Wildlife Conservancy, gaining first-hand experience in procedures, handling, and coordination.

Mr. Sabilla emphasized that the return of rhinos to Ajai Wildlife Reserve is not only a government priority, enshrined in the government manifesto, NDP IV, and UWA’s conservation plans, but also a national expectation. “The rhinos must be in Ajai. This is not the time for bureaucracy. Be practical, be thorough, and get the job done,” he said. “We have a deadline of December which is just around the corner and we should work towards meeting the deadline,” he added.

He stressed that the government, local leaders in West Nile, clan elders, and the President himself are fully behind this initiative. “You have the goodwill, the support, and the resources. Unfortunately, you don’t have the luxury of time,” he warned.

Sabilla expressed full confidence in the team’s ability, particularly given the added expertise brought from the Kenya experience. He remarked that delivering to rhinos to Ajai is not only for the benefit of people in West Nile but the whole country.  “Do this not for the people of West Nile but for Uganda as a whole and above all, deliver these rhinos for God,” he urged.

The meeting is expected to conclude with a concrete, time-bound action plan to guide the next steps in this landmark conservation effort, aimed at restoring rhinos to their historical home in Ajai Wildlife Reserve.

The President of Uganda, His Execellence, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured the world that Uganda is safe to visit in spite of cases of Ebola in the country.

The president was addressing the nation on November 15, 2022 on the Ebola situation some districts and measures that government has put in place to contain its spread to other parts of the country.

The president said it was unfortunate to hear that tourists are cancelling and others postponing their trips in hotels because of fear to contract Ebola. “I have been informed that tourists have been cancelling their trips to Uganda and some have even postponed their bookings in hotels and lodges due to the Ebola outbreak. Furthermore, international conferences and meetings have been postponed and some moved to other countries due to the Ebola outbreak. This is most unfortunate” said the President.

He said that Government is doing all it takes to control the epidemic and avoid exportation outside Uganda. He added that the list of Ebola contacts has been availed to the Immigration Authorities to prevent them from international travel. In addition, there is screening at the airport and land border points of entry for temperature, symptoms and history of contact.

Mr. Museveni rallied the international community to feel safe while travelling to Uganda because Ebola has been effectively handled and contained in only 6 districts.

“I would like to reassure the international community, tourists and conference organizers and the entire Ugandan population, that Government has put in place measures to control the outbreak. The Ebola outbreak is localized to only 6 out of the 146 districts. Uganda remains safe and we welcome international guests” he said.

Since imposing restrictions in Mubende district, the number of cases reduced to an average of 3 cases per day. This has been attributed to intensifying of control interventions which included; door to door sensitization of the communities by the Village Health Teams, training of the health workers on Infection Prevention Control in both public and private health facilities, safe dignified burials of all deceased in the communities and hospitals and early treatment of cases at the Ebola Treatment Units.

The President says that efforts are beginning to pay off as there has been a decline in in the number of cases in Mubende with only 1 case registered in the last 18 days.

Uganda Wildlife Authority has continued to take the safety of visitors to national parks, wildlife reserves and head office as top priority by strictly following the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health to stop the spread of Ebola. This measure has ensured that all UWA protected areas and other estates are safe for visitors.

Many people may be understandably concerned by the news of an outbreak of Ebola in Uganda. This information is intended to reassure you that there is no risk to tourists visiting the country.

How is it transmitted?

Ebola is transmittedthrough close and direct physical contact with the body fluids of an infected person.

Tourists will appreciate that they are unlikely to engage in such activities.

Who is at risk? 

Historically, hospital staff and others treating infected people have been at significant risk. However medical advances mean that health workers are now vaccinated.  Uninformed relatives preparing the bodies of victims for burial are also at risk.

Can the disease be contained?

Ugandan health authorities have long experience in preventing the spread of diseases. We have had a very successful story in fighting Ebola in Africa. We experienced an Ebola outbreak in 2014 but it was contained by our health experts and tourists that visited Uganda left with no Ebola. Uganda’s success story in fighting Ebola is known globally and the country has helped other African countries facing Ebola outbreaks. In 2014, a team of Ugandan doctors and health workers were deployed by World Health Organization to provide medical support for an Ebola treatment Centre in Monrovia, Liberia. Uganda is also known to have ably contained the spread of Covid-19 having registered a low number of fatalities.

Are tourism areas affected by the outbreak?

The Ebola case was reported in Mubende District. Though some tourism vehicles pass through the district, there are no tourist activities in the area and no reason to stop.

Is primate tracking risky?

No, primate tracking is safe. UWA already enforces strict distance guidelines to prevent close contact between humans and gorillas. As a further safeguard during the recent pandemic, masks were introduced. These procedures are primarily to protect primates from human diseases but also, potentially, safeguard humans too. The health of gorilla groups is also monitored frequently so, in the unlikely event of a change in the health of a gorilla group, UWA will be quickly aware and visits to this group will be discontinued.

The safety of visitors to our protected areas is important to us and we try to esure that our visitors remain safe.

The 16^th edition of the interforces game and championships has been launched today at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) head office. The annual event brings together Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service and Uganda Wildlife Authority.

The media launch was graced by the Executive Director UWA Mr. Sam Mwandha, the Chief of Education, Sports and Culture in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Brig. General Wilson Muhabuzi, Assistant Inspector General of Police Charles Birungi and Commissioner of Prisons Julius Aloka.

The Executive Director UWA Sam Mwandha revealed that the games will commence on September 19^th and end of September 30^th 2022. He said that the games will be opened by the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities on September 23, at Uganda Wildlife Research and Training Institute in Katwe. On the opening day, there will be a Corporate Social Responsibility activity of planting trees along the streets of Katwe town and a football match between a select team from the forces and a community team at the institute in the evening.

Mr. Sam Mwandha said that UWA use sports for professional development of staff and to promote conservation. “As the host of the 16^th Edition of this annual tournament, Uganda Wildlife Authority uses sports as an avenue for professional development of sportsmen, promotion of healthy living, team work and staff discipline as well as a tool for promotion of conservation and enhancement of institutional visibility. Sports is one of the ways through which we reach out to the public with a conservation agenda,” he said.  

He expressed appreciation to government for supporting the forces to develop talents of Ugandans and called for support from Ugandans toward local sports.

Sam Mwandha lamented poor funding toward sports which he said makes it hard to implement His Excellency the President’s directive for government entities to employ sports personalities. He however revealed that UWA has mainstreamed sports and made sports development one of the key areas of focus. “We have realized that in addition to other roles that sports play in the daily lives of our staff, it is also a good tool for public relations and institutional visibility. In addition to internal sporting activities, we have developed three professional clubs. These include Uganda Wildlife Darts Club, Uganda Wildlife Authority Athletics Club and recently, Uganda Wildlife Authority Football Club,” he added.

The representatives of the forces highlighted the importance of the interforces games in enhancing collaboration among the forces, which is important for peace and security, the two crucial ingredients for economic development.

• The objectives of the interforces games are;
• Promotion of discipline, professionalism, command, control and administration of the respective armed forces;
• Promotion of mental and physical fitness of the Armed Forces towards the achievement of their respective missions and mandates
• Promotion of cooperation, collaboration and teamwork among the security forces.
• Promotion of good relations between the armed forces and the general populace.

The 16^th edition of the interforces games and championships will feature the following disciplines;

SPORT	DATE	VENUE
Athletics (Track and field)	19/09/2022	Bombo Army Barracks
Athletics (Road race)	22/09/2022	Katwe Town
Range shooting	24-29 September 2022	Nyamugasani Range ground
Darts (men and women)	24-28 September 2022	Mweya
Football (men)	24-29 September 2022	Mweya
Netball	24-29 September 2022	Mweya
Handball	24-29 September 2022	Mweya
Volleyball	24-29 September 2022	Mweya
Taekwondo	24th September 2022	Mweya